<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind by ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29348436">Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe/pseuds/ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe'>ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Virtual Streamer Animated Characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood and Injury, F/F, Gura will have the only braincell, Memory Alteration, Multi, References to Lovecraft, The whole time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:35:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29348436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe/pseuds/ApathyAbstainedAbsinthe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ame might be starting to lose her mind , Ina has enough on her plate having to deal with the Ancient One’s wishes, and Gura just wants to keep them all together.<br/>Or, I decided to write more angst.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gawr Gura/Ninomae Ina'nis, Gawr Gura/Ninomae Ina'nis/Watson Amelia, Gawr Gura/Watson Amelia (hololive), Ninomae Ina'nis/Watson Amelia (hololive)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.<br/>
-H.P. Lovecraft</p>
<p>Ame was no stranger to fear. Time travel can lead to many tricky situations and keeping a cool head was one of the only ways to get out of them. But in all honesty, dreams were out of her wheelhouse. Snapshots of cases gone wrong, memories of past friends and past lovers, all lost to the unrelenting waves of time while she remains unchanging, a set stone. </p>
<p>This, however, was different. She was in a forest she had never seen before. And yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that this was wrong somehow. The trees were too straight, the leaves too green. Eyes looked out from knotholes in the trunks, blinking every so often. The shadows were sharper, deeper even. Underneath her feet, the ground was a mix of small animal bones and grayish-black dirt while whispers from jaggedly cut mouths in the sky set an unnerving background to the near silence</p>
<p>
  <em>Not right, not right.</em>
</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>The words rang in the dead silence, the strange ghostly voices silencing for a few seconds before whispering once more, repeating her tentative words. She took one step, then another. The trees melted away as the sky darkened, leaving Ame standing alone in a flat landscape with nothing but emptiness in every direction. A voice boomed, both within and without.</p>
<p>
  <em>You should leave, little detective, before you discover things that would much rather stay hidden.</em>
</p>
<p>Liquid sloshed around Ame’s ankles, the smell of petrol and strangely, brine invading her senses. She looked down, a gasp escaping her as she stumbled back. The shiny surface of the fluid reflected a warped and distorted view of her, a birds-eye view of a single figure surrounded by ripples in pitch-black liquid.<br/>Suddenly, a drop of something cold dripped onto her head. The sky pitch black and raining a dark substance, not unlike the one Ame was standing in. Then, the sky fell.</p>
<p>Ame was pulled under instantly, a riptide of pure cold ink. She couldn’t see, she couldn’t breathe, nothing but deep black in every direction.</p>
<p>
  <em>Where’s up? Down? Come on, come on, wake UP! </em>
</p>
<p>It felt too real, too vivid. Her heart beating faster and faster, and yet no progress on finding the surface. The pressure was mounting, her hands getting numb. The edges of her vision darkened.<br/>But then, a light. Two hands, reaching towards her; one gloved, the other childlike with nails bitten to the quick. </p>
<p>
  <em> Home. Safety. </em>
</p>
<p>Something stopped her from reaching out, though. A warmth from behind her, one that caused her head to turn. A beat-up, golden watch, its face twinkling in the light emanating from the outstretched hands. The voice spoke again, deep and murky like the depths she was trapped in.</p>
<p>
  <em> Choices, choices little detective. Choose well. </em>
</p>
<p>.	.	.</p>
<p>Ame shot bolt upright as if dumped with a bucket of ice-cold water. Her small bedroom had much larger shadows than usual, practically pools of black. Strange whispers came from the corners in an unknown language, one that shouldn’t be heard by mortal ears and yet was familiar.</p>
<p>
  <em> Sounds like Ina… </em>
</p>
<p>Looking over at the clock on the bedside table, Ame groaned. </p>
<p>“Five A.M. is too early to be awake.” </p>
<p>Yawning, she tried to get out of bed only to almost fall to the floor from the sheets tangled around her legs.<br/>She frowned. </p>
<p>“Why…” Ame rubbed her forehead. “Was I going to ask Ina something? But why…” She trailed off, the shadows in her room diminishing until they were in their normal, unaltered state. Everything felt hazy like she wasn’t fully awake yet, which was accurate. </p>
<p>“I need coffee.” Managing to untangle herself from her sweat-soaked sheets, she sleepily stumbled to the bedroom door only to pause. Ame glanced over at the corner of the room, gazing for one beat, two.</p>
<p>“Whatever.” </p>
<p>She walked out of the room, leaving a scratched old pocket watch to sink into the shadows.</p>
<p>.	.	.</p>
<p>“The stream is starting in ten minutes guys, you need to hurry up.”</p>
<p>Gura was bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet, her tail swishing from side to side.</p>
<p>“Just give me a second.” Ame took a large bite of her sandwich. “I’m almost done.” She spoke through a mouthful of bread and turkey.</p>
<p>“Come onnn, you big goober, you’re going to make us late. Ina, tell her.”</p>
<p>Ina had a small smile on her face, having already finished a bit ago along with Gura. </p>
<p>“Yeah, Ame, we <em>breader</em> get going”</p>
<p>Ame choked on her sandwich. Gura thumped her back, almost sending her face first into the plate with a strength unassuming for someone of her stature.</p>
<p>“You heard the priestess, let’s go!”</p>
<p>“Alright, alright.” Ame said, putting down her sandwich and rubbing her back. “You hit hard.”</p>
<p>“Sorry sunshine, but the early shark gets the shrimp!”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the two bickered good-naturedly, Ina watched with a distant smile.</p>
<p>
  <em>We told you, Priestessss, it would work out fine.</em>
</p>
<p>.	.	.</p>
<p>“And that’s the end!” Gura said happily, shutting off her pc.</p>
<p>Ame stretched. “It was a productive stream.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Somehow.” Ina quipped.</p>
<p>“Hey, we get stuff done. I did PPP right?”</p>
<p>“It took you three streams didn’t it?” Ina said, with a dry smile.</p>
<p>Ame’s retort was interrupted by Gura’s yawn. </p>
<p>“Where’s your watch? I wanna know what time it is.”</p>
<p>“Why are you asking? Is it time for me to ground pound your mom?” Ame let out her signature gremlin laugh at her joke, glancing over at Ina to see her reaction.<br/>The priestess was silent, staring at Ame with a strange look. <br/>Gura’s slightly sleepy expression changed to one of concern.</p>
<p>“You okay, Ina?”</p>
<p>Ame chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, did <em>you</em> want to be ground pounded?”</p>
<p>Ina’s eyes darkened, focusing on Ame’s slightly blushing face. A smirk appeared and a gloved hand reached up and grabbed Ame’s tie.</p>
<p>“Is that a promise, detective?”</p>
<p>Ame’s mouth ran dry and she glanced over at Gura. The shark’s pupils had enlarged and she was blushing almost as red as her tie, the tie in Ina’s hand, the Ina that was waiting for an answer.</p>
<p>Ame gulped. “I have a one-hundred percent success rate on my cases, my priestess.”</p>
<p>“Humu, humu.”</p>
<p>A hand placed itself on Ame’s back posessively, Gura having moved over from where she was sitting to stand next to Ame. Her mouth was open slightly, showing off her sharp teeth.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you show us, sunshine?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Let no one ever say that Gawr Gura wasn’t strong. To be able to withstand the ocean’s pressure, to handle the thousands of years alone in the depths; Gura was truly an apex predator, capable of all the things one would expect of the sole survivor of Atlantis’ destruction. </p>
<p>Relationships were different though, something she wasn’t used to. Ina and Ame weren’t the first people she had ever dated, but they were the first to make her feel so <em>free</em>, as if the thousands of years up on the surface was a coffin she didn’t know she was trapped in, and now her heart was finally beating again. </p>
<p>She didn’t feel free now, sitting on the couch in the living room of their home as Ina paced back and forth. It had been almost a full day since Ame had left on a case and she had not yet returned. The worry was taking its toll on Ina, the already pale woman chalk white and face concerningly blank.</p>
<p>“You need to drink something, love,” Ina stopped pacing for a second, Gura staring at Ina’s hunched over back, the priestess’ dark hair curtaining her face. </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” She straightened, turning around to face Gura. Her face was still marble-like, a statue unaware of its plight.</p>
<p>There was no sound, no warning to the suddenness of Amelia Watson suddenly appearing in the middle of the room only to collapse onto the floor. Both Ina and Gura stared at their resident detective in stunned silence until Ame slowly lifted her head up from where it was lying on the floor, blue eyes shimmering with pain. </p>
<p>“Hey guys.”</p>
<p>Gura blinked, eyes widening as she noticed the stain on Ame’s shoulder, the bright crimson stain. She got off the couch, hands gently propping Ame up against the couch. When Gura took her hands back, they were wet, warm blood painting her hands.</p>
<p>“You’re bleeding.” Ina said, voice even but barely controlled, a slight waver in her tone.</p>
<p>Ame shrugged, wincing at the pain the movement sparked in her shoulder. “Just a mild brush with our friend Calliope Mori, you know. It’s been a while since we’ve seen her, we should go visit her and Kiara, yeah?” She tried to smile, teeth stained pink from blood.</p>
<p>She was trying to deflect, Gura knowing her well enough to know that it wasn’t as simple as that.</p>
<p>Gloved hands moved forward, carefully unbuttoning the ruined blouse and gently tugging it down to reveal Ame’s shoulder. Gura’s breath caught in her throat, the metallic scent of blood overwhelming to her sharp shark senses. It was clearly a bullet wound.</p>
<p>The lights flickered, shadows lengthening across the walls. The temperature dropped sharply, breath crystalizing in the freezing air. Monotonous whispers rang in her ears, otherworldly creatures danced in the peripherals of Gura’s vision, disappearing as soon as she tried to focus on them.</p>
<p>“Who?” Ina’s voice was quiet, but sent a jolt of fear through Gura’s heart. She had never seen the mild-mannered priestess this <em>angry</em> before.</p>
<p>Ame focused on Ina, concern outshining the pain in her eyes. “Ina, it’s okay. The police caught them and they’re in jail now.” She reached forward with bloodied fingers, caressing Ina’s cheek lightly. “They’ll be gone for a long time.”</p>
<p>Ina didn’t blink, nor lean into Ame’s touch. “That’s not enough.” </p>
<p>Her voice was a growl, a rasp that caused the shadows in the room to shake and reach towards them, inching forward like grasping hands. Gura’s tail wrapped around herself, shivering as the temperature dropped even further, colder than the depths of the ocean she once called home.</p>
<p>She opened her mouth to say something, but Ame beat her to it.</p>
<p>“Are- are you okay, Ina?” Ame stared into the priestess’ eyes, searching for something, anything. </p>
<p>The blankness melted away, Ina slumping forward a bit, Gura placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Ina whispered after a bit, slightly muffled by emotion.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t seem true, lovely.” Ame dropped her hand from Ina’s face, leaving a light smear on Ina’s cheek to grab one of her gloved hands. </p>
<p>Ina was silent for a moment.</p>
<p>“I’m disappearing,” She finally spoke, voice a low murmur. “It’s like, I am losing more and more what makes me human, and- and…. It’s like I’m an empty glass, and the Ancient ones are slowly filling more and more of me up, and I don’t think there’s much <em>Ina</em> left.”</p>
<p>“Oh, love,” Ame’s thumb rubbed comforting circles on the back of Ina’s hand, the material of the gloves smooth and silky.</p>
<p>“Sometimes, I wish I had never picked up that book.” Ina mumbled, leaning slightly into Gura, the shark gently wrapping her arms around the priestess. </p>
<p>“I can go back. I can fix this.” Ame’s eyes shone with anger and determination, blue as steely as her timeless watch.</p>
<p>“NO!” </p>
<p>Gura flinched, hand jerking away from where it had been resting on Ina’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. It’s-it’s fine.” Ina quieted, gloved fingers tracing over the bullet wound, sparks of eldritch magic beginning to knit flesh back together.</p>
<p>Ame’s eyes softened. “We’ll figure it out together, I’m sure.”</p>
<p>The lights stopped flickering, brightening to their normal cheer. The temperature rose to normal, but the mist stayed. Gura tried to place a hand on Ina’s back, to comfort her clearly distressed girlfriend but her hand passed right through her, Ina’s body fading away into the steadily growing mist. </p>
<p>She reached forward, Ame’s body going distressingly limp before fading into mist as well. Gura’s head felt like cotton, the fog surrounding her soaking her hoodie and chilling her to the bone. All she could see was white, and it scorched her eyes. The shark screwed her eyes shut, comforting darkness giving way to-</p>
<p>Pale white ceiling. Gura’s chest heaved, heart beating a rapid drumbeat in her ribcage. Sweat soaked her oversized sleep shirt, sheets tangled around her legs. As her heart slowed, she registered the comforting weight of a pale arm on her chest, Ina’s wings tickling her stomach from where her shirt had ridden up slightly. Ame wasn’t with them, usually going to bed in her seldom occupied personal room whenever she came home late from a case, not wanting to wake the other two up.</p>
<p>And as Gura gazed at the familiar room decorated with little personal items from each of them, a memory came to mind, one faded slightly by mist.</p>
<p>
  <em>A golden watch….</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m back! I’m really sorry this took so long to update but life got in the way. Fortunately, prompt week and several other related works were able to get me back in the writing mood. </p>
<p>This is where we start to ramp up from the exposition, and memories hidden by shadow begin to be brought to light. </p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for this first chapter being so short. I wanted to get the beginning out so that I could get more invested. Also, I decided to end on horny because of the a n g s t that will be coming your way. Have a good day/night and thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>